The Waiting One
by ProjectWRITTEN
Summary: "They say the best times of your life, the happy, joyous memories that make your very soul dance and play, they say those moments can last decades. But that the awful moments, the ones that make your heart cripple, the times where it seemed like the whole world was against, they say it's those times that last lifetimes. I never really understood what that meant, not until now"


**The Waiting One**

* * *

They say the best times of your life, the happy, joyous memories that make your very soul dance and play, they say those moments can last decades. But that the awful moments, the ones that make your heart cripple, the times where it seemed like the whole world was against, they say it's those times that last lifetimes.

I never really understood what that meant, not until now.

 _This is my open letter,  
This is something to remember._

I lived my whole life thinking nothing bad would ever happen. Not to me anyway. I'd go out, be the hero everyone wanted me to be, come back and everything would be fine. I never really thought that something could affect me so much that it would literally slow down time.

That was until a mere few years ago.

 _I won't be buried before my time,  
I'm not searching for forever,_

A few years ago, Amy left the team, said she couldn't keep going on like this, living day by day not knowing whether any of us will return home again. I can understand that, I truly can, but yet, at the same time I couldn't see why she would want to leave. She loved every single person on the team; saw the light in everyone, even Shadow. No-one was ever horrid or hostile to her.

 _I've got my eyes opened wide,  
I've been searching under rubble from the past,_

When she first told me, I didn't really believe it. Out of all the people to want to leave, I never expected it to be her. She was always willing to help, always loyal, always stuck by your side. At first, I kept thinking she was joking, brushed it off as if it was nothing, but the longer she mentioned it, the more she showed she was being serious, the more angry I became. I started shouting, ignoring her, said some awful things I should never have said. Called her stupid, an ignorant fool, told her that she was being selfish, only thinking of herself.

But of course that's not true, none of it is. No, Amy is the most caring person I've ever known. I told her that, after what seemed like a train wreck of insults, told her she meant so much to us. To me...

 _I've been searching under rubble from the past,  
Just looking for a reason to make your life last._

I took her out on night. For the first time, we went on a proper date, did my best to make it special, to make her change her mind. Told her just how special she was, how much and how valuable she was for the team. Told her how much I actually cared for her, how much she actually meant to me. Showed her how much she meant...

 _No need to look skyward for you to find hope,  
No need for redemption to be saved from the rope,_

But my attempts, she left any way, left on night and never came back. No note, no nothing, just left like that. We all knew it was coming at one point, could see it in her eyes. The willingness to go, the need to leave. Despite that, despite that warning, it still hurt. Like pound of bricks falls on top of you all of a sudden, you find it hard it breathe because it just happened, just like that.

 _Fuck No!_

Things stilled carried on though; Eggman was still up to his old tricks, Shadow was still Mr Moody, Tails was still inventing. Everything carried on, nothing much changed.

We never had contact, didn't know where she was, what she was doing, not even if she was just okay. We just hoped, hoped that one day we'd see her again. That I'd see her again.

After about seven years however, it seemed like fate answered my wishes.

 _I'm not searching the sky for a reason to live  
'Cause I found beauty right here and found the passion to give,  
So let me give you my heart, let me give you my tears,  
Let me give you my life, let me give you my fears._

One day, just out of the blue, I got a letter. I found it while I was out on one of my usual runs, I had run all the way out to the ocean, there no person walked, no sound was to be heard except the sound of the waves crashing against the beach. It was a place I liked to go when I wanted to get away, to be alone, to think or not to think at all. It was my place, my secret place.

It was late, the sun was setting, after spending goodness knows how much time, I was about to head off. That was until I found it, the letter.

I just found it, laying there in the sand; I looked around and couldn't see anyone nearby. Hesitantly I picked up the letter, opened it and started reading...

 ** _Dear Sonic,_**

 ** _You probably don't remember me, but I remember you. I remember you so well. It's time I saw you again, meet me here tomorrow, same time as now._**

 ** _I look forward to finally seeing you again._**

 ** _P.S. You don't have you come, this is an open letter, but whatever you chose, I'll be waiting._**

It didn't say who it was from, but it didn't need to, I knew. How could I not?

 _Just so you can hold on and sing while I do,  
Sing these words out so loud,  
Like I sing them for you.  
This is your open letter, something to remember,  
We can still keep on fighting even though life is not forever._

That night I didn't sleep, like I sleep much anyway, but that night, it was different. I was in a mixture of emotions, excited, scared, angry but happy, all at the same time. I didn't tell anyone, didn't want to hopes up.

What if I turn up and she's not there? What if she doesn't remember any of them? What if she doesn't want to come back?

A continuous flow of fears and anxiety swarmed my thoughts that night. But fears are only fears until proven true.

 _I'm not searching the sky for a reason to live  
'Cause I found beauty right here and found the passion to give,  
So let me give you my heart, let me give you my tears,  
Let me give you my life, let me give you my fears._

The following day, I ran as fast as my legs would physically take me to the beach. I arrived just as the sun was setting, the reflection shimmering on the water's surface in all sorts of different colours.

And I waited... And waited... and waited...

As the last glimpses the sun started to set into the horizon, I began to lose hope, began to get angry at myself for believing she would come. That was until I heard a voice...

"Hey blue blur"

I turned around, my heart racing increasing as my sights locked on hers. The sun had just enough so that a few rays settled on her, the light shimmering gently in her eyes. For a split moment, I felt like I should wake up. I couldn't believe that she was actually there, Amy, my Amy, right there after what seemed like a lifetime.

She had changed somewhat, grown more mature but still had an aura of childlike innocence to her. Her quills had grown out to just past her shoulders, her body more lean and not as pristine as when she was younger, as if her body was marked with experience and a past she lived through.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" she spoke out, a small, yet somewhat sad smile on her lips.

"Too long"

Amy took a step forward towards me, breathing in somewhat jaggedly, almost as if she was scared. "I know you must be asking a lot of questions right now, probably even angry, but I can explain" she started, her words speeding into one another, on the verge of babbling.

"Where did you go?"

Amy looked up, a little surprised if anything, I don't think that was the question she was expecting.

"Where did I go?" she repeated, clarifying what I had asked, I gave a small nod in response. "Well, here, there, everywhere"

I looked at her, a little confused, only to get a small laugh as a response

"It didn't plan to be like that, I wanted to settle down somewhere, be away from it all the trouble, the danger..." she paused, her mind spacing out somewhat "But somehow, no matter where I went, I just got caught up in everything and anything..."

 _This is my open letter, this is something to remember.  
This is my open letter; I'm not searching for forever._

Amy started to tell me everything that happened to her since she left, the adventures she went on, the friends she made, the dangers she faced. Every moment was as interesting and as tense as the next. We ended up sitting opposite each other on the smooth sand with Amy telling me her stories, and me, listening to her like a small child who was completely immersed in a fairy tale. As she told her stories, I could see her eyes practically light up, the more she told, the more excited she got, as did I.

She told me about all the places she ventured to, some as crazy and as unique as if they belonged in books, she told me about all the troubles and danger she ran into, and how on each time, she felt compelled to act, to stand up and fix what was broken, even if it meant her own life at points. She told me about her first friend she made, a little boy porcupine called Raf whom she literally bumped into, he helped her and she helped him, since their encounter, they had been inseparable. I chuckled as they reminded me so much of me and Tails.

 _I'm not searching the sky for a reason to live  
'Cause I found beauty right here and found the passion to give,_

Eventually, she finished, saying how she found the beach by coincidence as well, coming her when she needed her space, and that's when she saw me. And that's when we were brought back to the now.

"You know it's funny" Amy said "The whole point of me leaving was to get away from the danger, the heroism, but it seemed like the more I ran, the more trouble found me and more danger I got in"

"I guess, once a hero, always a hero" I thought out loud, gaining an agreeing smile from Amy

"Yeah, I guess" Amy agreed. A steady and comfortable silence filled between the two of us.

"Ok, I have a question for you now" Amy spoke out, breaking the silence

"Shoot"

"Did you hate me when I left?"

 _So let me give you my heart, let me give you my tears,  
Let me give you my life, let me give you my fears._

My eyes widened at the suddenness of that question, it took me a while to comprehend what she had just asked me.

"What!? No! I don't hate you, I never have, I could never hate you Ames!" this time, it was me being the babbling one.

"But you were angry with me" Amy pushed

"Well yeah, I guess, it hurt to find that one of teammates was leaving, maybe forever" I replied

"Oh, I see" she muttered, her head lowered, her quills hiding her face from view. She felt wistful, it practically shone of her, seeing this, I edged closer to her, gently and hesitantly taking her hand in mine.

"I guess I was angry because I never excepted it to be you" I muttered to her "Nor did I want you to leave"

 _I'm not searching the sky for a reason to live  
'Cause I found beauty right here and found the passion to give,_

Amy looked back up, a small tear in her eye.

"I never stopped loving you" she rasped out, her voice breaking slightly, the tear rolling down her cheek "Not once"

I couldn't help but to smile, there are some things that just never change. I gently caressed her cheek, brushing away the tear. "I don't doubt you for a minute"

I don't remember how long I stared into those eyes, how long she stared into mine but we remained locked like that, the moon radiating on top of us, the sand getting tangled among our toes beneath us.

Then, just like that, I leaned in, and kissed her.

 _So let me give you my heart, let me give you my tears,  
Let me give you my life, let me give you my fears._

She was shocked at first, I could sense that, but it didn't take her long at all to melt into the kiss, our bodies and even our souls becoming perfectly in time with one another, dancing to beat of our hearts.

It felt like time had just stopped for us, as if there was nothing else in the world but us. And it was perfect.

 _One more time!_

Finally, we broke away; the curse of air overpowered us both. I looked back at Amy, a sparkle in her eye and glee in her heart.

"I never stopped either" I told her, I couldn't help but to show off my signature smile, which only caused her to giggle. Oh how I missed that laugh. Amy leaned in close, our noses practically touching.

"I hope you can forgive me" she whispered in my ear

"Don't need to, there's nothing to forgive" Amy smiled gently before placing another kiss on my lips, which I happily accepted.

And I was happy, because now, we're back where we should be. Together.

 _I'm not searching the sky for a reason to live  
'Cause I found beauty right here and found the passion to give,_

 _So let me give you my heart, let me give you my tears,  
Let me give you my life, let me give you my fears._


End file.
